Brothers' Love
by Uesugi Yuki Eiri
Summary: Shindou's family has a little secret. One that will effect something heavy in his life, and only after a near fatal accident does he find out exactly what it is...
1. Refusal

Brother's Love

_(Authors Note: I have not read all of the manga, but I have seen all the anime and read some of the manga. If there are any disruptions, I'm sorry...My bad! Also, I do not lay any sort of claim on the Gravitation Cast... )_

The day was a lot like any other that had come around. The sun was out, there was a light breeze, the streets were only slightly crowded and...Yuki Eiri was inside, typing away at his laptop. Like he did most of the time, he chose not to go outside. He wasn't impressed with the outside world and simply decided to get to work on his newest novel, which was due in less than eight weeks. He had a lot of touching up to do.

Pinched in his back teeth was the filter of the cigarette he had been smoking for the last few minutes, and the end of it was collecting amber hued ashes. Every now and then, he would exhale the smoke and take another long draw-- he was busy, lost in this nicotine-enhanced writing session.

Part of his mind was expecting Shuichi to burst in at any moment, as the younger male had a habit of doing. Eiri's eyes narrowed at the thought. He would have to deal with the boy at least three or four times today, probably more, just like normal. It seemed he was getting harder and harder to wave off, and no matter how many times he repeated himself about "being too busy to to pay attention to a damn brat," Shuichi refused to listen to anything he said. He was like a beaten dog that just kept coming back for more. More, that Yuki would not give. He was far too busy with much more important things.

And cue, the rustling noise came from the next room, and a loud thud signified that Shuichi had probably thrown himself against the door to get it open in a hurry. Eiri didn't even bother looking at him. His countenance displayed his increase in annoyance, and he focused stubbornly on the illuminated screen in front of him. His train of thought had been interrupted, and so he held down the backspace key to get rid of a sentence that he couldn't remember why he had written. Shuichi was just a huge distraction. Eiri was a secluded person and worked better when he was alone. Knowing that Shuichi was in the room was irritating in itself.

"Yuuuukkkkiiiiiiii!" The boys voice stung into Eiri's ears, and he nearly cringed at the sound of it. His golden eyes sharpened as if shooting visual daggers at the screen in front of him. Shindou, refusing to be ignored, peeked around at Eiri, placing his head near directly in Eiri's visual path. "Yuuuukiiiii! My lyrics! I finished them!"

Eiri's eyes briefly met Shindou's with a sort of sarcastic glow. The boy was so excited about something that probably wasn't even any good. Shuichi's face was glowing with the pride that only came from a finished project, and that was saying something, knowing what a procrastinator Shuichi Shindou happened to be. In a brief instance, the happiness seemed to drain out of Shuichi's face as he noticed how indifferent Eiri seemed to be. Even after hearing about such an accomplishment, he had no interest in what was being said.

Before Eiri knew what was happening, a sheet of wrinkled paper was shoved in his face. The chicken-scratch handwriting was obviously Shindou's, and so apparently, these were his fantastic lyrics. Eiri took a mere moment to look them over, and his nose wrinkled in dislike. He couldn't believe that this boy was actually famous given the bullshit that he was writing. He looked away, trying to see beyond and too the flat screen of the laptop, which wasn't necessarily working out.

"Well? What do you think, Yuki? What do you think?" The anticipation was in his voice, and he was pretty much begging for feedback. Eiri narrowed his eyes once more and looked up to Shindou, momentarily surrendering to the fact that he couldn't write with Shindou's big fat head in the way.

"They suck." That was all Eiri had said in response. Shuichi seemed to coil up and away from the Romance Novelist in shame. It wasn't the first time Yuki had said something so cruel about his writing. He had become slightly accustomed to Eiri's behavior and learned that he was just a cold person. It took a lot of getting used to. Still, the words still hurt. Eiri was important to Shindou, and naturally then, so was his opinion. The only problem was, he never seemed to know what Eiri really thought. Shuichi's eyes stung with tiny remnants of tears, that he refused to let show themselves.

"You really think they're that bad?" The boy's voice was slightly wavering in his sudden sweep of depression, as he had pulled away and was now looking at Eiri from a bit of a distance now, having felt shunned by him.

He could hear the disappointment in Shindou's voice, and he knew that were he to look at him, evidence of the tears would be there. Something about Shindou had a tendency to sting a spot in Eiri he tried his best to hide from others, and he couldn't stand it. Shindou stimulated the little bit of conscience Eiri had.

"Maybe it's just me, brat." He didn't know what to say, really. He just didn't want Shindou to turn all whiny, like he did a lot of the time. Eiri could say one little thing and Shindou would become all tender and hurt. It was annoying as hell.

"So do you think people would like them? I worked hard!"

Eiri was laughing on the inside. Shindou worked hard on such a piece of crap? That was funny! So he spent valued time stewing over a piece of shit. Shuichi was entirely over-confident.

He must have muttered a quiet 'yes' because Shuichi was simply glowing. Eiri looked away and pressed a hand to the side of Shindou's head, pushing him out of the way of the computer screen in front of him. He had pushed Shindou away so many times in so many different situations and ways, it was surprising the boy didn't simply shy away out of depression or loss of hope. Even though he was annoying, there was one thing Eiri could admire inwardly-- his persistence. His inability to quit.

Receiving no answer, Shuichi assumed the worst. He was receiving another rejection from Eiri Yuki, famous novelist.

"You're so meaaaannnnn Yuki!"

And his whining was driving Yuki crazy.

"Quiet, brat."

"Why are you so meeeaaaan?"

Oh great. It was going to be one of those times when Shuichi wasn't going to shut up until Eiri gave him an answer. He kept his eyes on the electronic screen.

"Because you're annoying as hell."

This remark gave Shuichi pause. He was used to being called annoying, but that didn't mean he had gotten used to it. Shuichi was definitely the sensitive type, and Yuki had no doubt figured out and often used them to make fun of him, or take advantage of him. It seemed Yuki Eiri, this clever man, had figured out how to take Shuichi's flaws and even the good things about him and use them for himself. Shuichi frowned slightly. He had news for Yuki, but he just seemed too aggitated to even think about listening. He had to get it out soon though, otherwise he would be distracted by the fact that he hadn't asked until he actually did.

"Yu-...Yuki?" His voice was unsure and timid as he looked at Yuki, slowly edging closer. Eiri, as Shindou had expected, did not turn to look at him. He was attached to his laptop, like he became a lot of the time. No wonder why he was so secluded. "Yuki, will you come to my show tomorrow?"

Eiri looked away from the screen for a brief moment and arched an eyebrow at Shuichi. He couldn't believe that the boy didn't already know the answer. Eiri hated going places, and he certainly wasn't going to go to some damn concert.

"Come on, Yuuuuki! It'll be fun!"

_Yeah, if your idea of fun is standing for an hour listening to an idiot recite highly defective poetry_. He didn't plan on going. Nope, not gonna happen.

"Go ask someone who cares, damn brat."


	2. Baking Disaster

Chapter II: Baking Disaster 

_(As mentioned in the previous chapter, I do not own Gravitation or any of its cast. Although... stiIl would like too...Technically, just mostly Eiri. -sneaks over to Tokyo Pop.-)_

In the background, the bass of "Rage Beat" sounded as Shuichi danced around with some invisible microphone. He was scavenging around the kitchen for the ingredients for Yuki's beloved Strawberry Cake. He had never cooked it before, but he figured the same ingredients go into every cake. So, what did he need? Eggs and Flour...water...sugar...and strawberries! That sounded right. He slid across the kitchen in his socks and made a violent collision with the counter, nearly knocking the wind out of himself as he clutched the fridge.

Opening the door and examining the contents, he smiled to himself. Eggs. Just like he expected. He carefully lifted them out in their Styrofoam container. Stealthily glancing around, he made sure that Yuki was no where in sight; he didn't want to ruin the surprise. He wasn't there, as Shuichi expected. He was probably in his room, cooped up, typing on the laptop in his chair and drinking coffee. Sometimes Shindou wondered if the coffee was the only thing that kept Eiri awake. He shuffled back into the kitchen and turned the stove on. He had no idea what the temperature should be; only that it needed to be hot enough to bake quickly. So, turning the knob, he set it to 450 degrees. More than enough, unknown to him.

The next thing he did was rummage through the cabinets until he found a large mixing bowl. He had no clue why it was there; he never saw Yuki cooking, really—nonetheless he was happy for it. He dragged it down and set it on the spotless counter. Looking at the bowl thoughtfully, he tried to judge how much flour, eggs strawberries and sugar he could fit in there. After emptying over half of the decently-sized flour bag and five or six eggs, strawberries and a mountain-load of sugar it occurred to him that he hadn't put in the water yet. So, gingerly, he placed the bowl directly under the faucet and let it run. The mixture was beginning to look a bit odd at this point, a murky mess of beige slop. It didn't resemble a cake mix at all, but perhaps it was because it hadn't really been mixed yet?

Searching through the drawers, Shuichi found a white spatula, which he used to stir the clump of disfigured cake. It was hard to get any stirring done, near impossible even. His arms were straining just to get the spatula to move maybe a centimeter.

--

Yuki Eiri sat unaware in his room, the door shut. He could hear the faint sounds of the music in the next room, but where they came from was a bit uncertain. He figured it was probably best to ignore Shindou and let him expend all his hyper energy elsewhere, as long as it didn't involve him. The soft clicking of his fingers striking the keys was all he would let impress on his thinking. His mind was firmly locked in writing mode, as he had more than a quarter of this to finish. He flicked the ashes of his lighted cigarette into the ashtray next to him and read over what he had written, only to get rid of and re-word over half of what he had just done. Nothing was good enough. He felt himself slipping into a bout of writer's block and he scoffed quietly, refusing to quit. Not now. Too much to do.

Part of him was still wondering what it was Shuichi was doing...

He stood, shoving the chair back for room to move, and walked to the door. He opened it, and then decided against it, turning back to his chair and laptop. He situated himself again. At least he could look out at Shuichi now. He didn't want any problems from the boy. He stared at the screen in front of himself for a moment and then leaned back, peeking out of the door.

Nothing. Where was he? What was he doing? Probably something destructive or stupid. That was Shuichi all right.

BOOM!

...Eiri twitched. He knew this meant bad news. He stood again, turning the screen of the laptop off, and made his way to the door. He glanced out, and all he could see was smoke. Heavy smoke. The smell of it weighed heavy on his senses as he tried to see through it. His hand went over his mouth, fingers lightly poised as he coughed, and made his way further onward. What the hell happened? His eyes were narrowed, and stung from the heavy toxin around him. Sure, he was used to cigarette smoke, but that definitely wasn't what this was.

When he came into the kitchen, he could see the threatening orange dance that only a fire was capable of giving.

"Shit," he muttered as he made his way to the opposite end of the house, searching for the thing that would be the house's savior. When he spotted the white-framed glass case of the fire extinguisher, he brought his elbow hard into the fragile covering, and the glass broke. He grabbed the red instrument and made his way to the kitchen, spraying the contents of the container into the smoky oblivion, edging closer so he could get the fire itself. When the white foam fully extinguished the fire, his eyes went across the floor, and laying, limp and askew was the body of Shuichi Shindou. His face was darkened with the effects of the smoke, and there were bruises that were in obvious view. Eiri had no idea why, but there was blood. He couldn't even imagine what it was that had caused that.

His eyes traveled to his oven, which lay in ruin, and he narrowed his eyes. Stupid brat. He really shouldn't even try to cook. Shuichi was no good when it came to Culinary Arts, or anything else really, but especially Culinary Arts. He glared down at the boy as he made his way over. His eyes held no concern for the boy. He was constantly hurting himself, so what did it matter? He bent down and grabbed the singed hems of the shoulders of Shuichi's shirt and dragged him out of the kitchen and into the hall way. He was tempted to kick the boy, really, but restrained himself. He seemed to be stuck between being angry at Shuichi and being worried about him. Right now, the angry part was showing through more than anything.

He rolled his eyes. Hiro would probably get angry if he found out Shuichi had been injured and Yuki did nothing about it, so he shuffled away to the phone, to call some sort of medical help. After giving his address to the operator, the woman on the other end seemed to pause for a moment.

The man she was on the phone with sounded familiar. He also didn't sound very concerned about who ever it was that needed medical attention. She paused again...Technically, small talk wasn't allowed on calls like these but she had already told the dispatcher, and help was on the way. Normally, she would ask the caller to stay on the line anyway.

"Um, excuse me?"

On the other end of the line: Silence. No dial tone. He must have still been on, just not talking...

"You sound...really...really...well, like I've heard you before."

'Oh great...' Yuki wrinkled his nose and grunted softly. He didn't feel like being swooned over right now.

More silence from Yuki's end of the line.

"U-umm...this may sound silly but...could I get your name?"

"You already have my address, baka. Why don't you just look it up for yourself." And after that, the line went blank. A fast-paced busy signal ensued. Yuki had hung up the phone. Not in the mood.

The blare of the sirens was quiet at first and quickly became louder as Yuki glanced out the front window and saw the white emergency vehicle approaching and come to an abrupt stop in front of his house. His eyes sharpened in enhancing irritation as he made his way to Shuichi, propping him up against the wall near the door. He seemed to be completely unconscious.

Eiri opened the door just as the medical staff got to it, and they seemed to recoil, pausing at the sight of him before making their way inside after Yuki had cleared out of they way for them. They were dumbfounded, but still found Shindou easily. They began swarming over him, talking amongst themselves. Eiri had drowned it all out, paying not the slightest bit of attention. This would be over soon enough. He didn't like people in his house. He didn't even really like Shuichi in his house, but something about him made it harder for him to make him leave permanently.

He was prodded by one of the ambulance staff, and he looked over irritatedly.

"We have to take him in and get some blood in him right away. He's lost a lot, and he's unconscious."

Eiri nodded absently. 'Of course he's unconscious you idiot...'


	3. In The Hospital

Chapter III: In The Hospital

_(I don't own the Gravitation cast, yadda yadda yadda. I want to though . . . still. And to all of you that have been reading this, I love you. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I had computer problems and forgot my password for this place. I'll be changing my e-mail addy soon, too! Anyway, without further ado, the story!)_

The ambulance ride was annoying. He would have taken his own car, but a few of the paramedics had suggested that he sit in back with Shuichi incase he came to. He sighed, sitting in the back, with his back to the back door of the ambulance; he refused to get any closer to any of them. The blaring of the sirens hurt his ears, and all the staff were rushing about doing God knows what to Shindou who was laying on a tissue covered stretcher in this highly sterile smelling bone wagon.

No, he wasn't happy. Not at all. He didn't want to be here, and there was no reason why he should be. It wasn't like he had done anything to Shuichi. Shuichi had done it to himself. He let himself drift off into an open void of angry thought for a while, ignoring all that was going on around him.

It didn't take long to get to the hospital. In fact, it went by quicker than Eiri noticed. It seemed like soon enough they were ushering him out of the vehicle. He hopped out and watched as the paramedics carried Shuichi in. One of the bystanding staff members paused to take a look at Yuki curiously. No doubt he was surprised that Yuki didn't seem the least bit worried, and that he wasn't going inside along with his friends mangled body. To Yuki, it didn't matter. He knew that the little brat had a hard head and that he would make it out okay one way or another.

The stunned staff member peered at Eiri a moment longer before following his colleagues indoors. Eiri, completely aggitated, took a cigarette from his pocket, pinched it between his teeth and produced a silver lighter, which he used to ignite the cigarette. Clicking the lighter to a close, he slipped it back into his pocket and partially closed his eyes, leaning against the wall of the building just beyond the emergency patient entrance, slouching slightly. He really didn't know how long he would be here, and when that thought came up, he was sorry he hadn't taken his own car, or at least one of them.

Then again, it wasn't like he gave a damn. He would walk home if he wanted, or maybe to the nearest bar. One of the two. God knew he needed a drink. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth, exhaled, put it back in, and shoved his hands in his pockets. Why did the brat have to make such a big deal out of everything? He was overdramatic. Completely annoying. And now, he went and blew himself up. What an idiot.

Sighing and realizing he had little choice but to stand out here in the heat or go inside and sit near the baka, he dropped the cigarette to the ground and pressed the toe of his shoe against it, smothering it there. He was frustrated with himself for submitting to things like these, but what could you do? He snorted and wrinkled his nose, turning away and walking inside the hospital.

He found his way to the nurses desk. As usual, when she looked up from her computer screen and papers, she opened her mouth to speak before a shocked look flashed over her facial expression. She was silent for a moment, and Eiri's eyes flickered, mirroring her shock, except it wasn't shock that was there-- it was irritation. He was highly irritable, as always. The nurse momentarily pushed the shock aside so that she could effectively speak to him.

"Umm...M-may I help you, Mister...?"

She was looking for his name. So she was one of the smarter little fan-idiots. Most of them just mauled him right when they saw him, or stood there in complete shock as he walked on.

"Shindou. Where?" He refused to say anymore than that. No more of it was needed. He wasn't trying to appear charming right now, nor did he need to be. He waited as she nervously clicked and typed a few things on her computer. It was big and bulky. That's why Eiri enjoyed having a laptop. It was sleek and easier to carry around. Besides, you know what they say about people that have large computers...or cars...whatever.

"U-um. Looks like he's in room D1004. It's on this floor. Just go down that hallway there," she said, gesturing down a large hallway to her right. "It'll be the fourth one on the right."

Eiri didn't even turn back once he heard those words. He made his way down the hall, shoved the door open and stepped in. There were a few doctors in the room that looked over once Eiri entered. They looked displeased, yet relieved at the same time. As if disappointed that Eiri hadn't come in earlier. The others went silent while one approached him almost cautiously. Eiri wasn't surprised. When he was pissed, it seemed to eminate from him. He arched an eyebrow, his golden eyes intent on the doctor, displaying his disgust quite well. The doctor appeared very intimidated in a way, almost offended.

"He lost a lot of blood, and we're going to have to get some in him quickly."

Eiri just stood there, brow still arched. If the boy needed blood so badly they might as well just put it in him. Yuki had nothing to say about it. The doctor just stood there as if he expected Yuki to say something in response, although nothing but silence passed between the two of them.

The doctor seemed still stunned that Yuki didn't speak any sort of worry or opinion...or something. He turned back to other doctors and gave them some sort of hand motion that obviously meant that they could get to work. They rushed out to retrieve a few things and the room was instantly empty. Yuki looked at Shindou for a moment and then turned away, leaving for the waiting room; perhaps there was something he could occupy himself with there, although he doubted it. Making his way into the waiting room, he wrinkled his nose. The place smelled as sterile as the ambulance had, and the smell was sickening almost. He took a seat in a vacant chair. This place was a joke. The chairs looked nice, but were not even the least bit comfortable, someone was seriously abusing the air conditioning system and somebody's annoying little infant wouldn't shut up. He placed his elbow on the armrest and placed a hand underneath of his jaw, closing his eyes irritatedly.

A long time passed before Eiri felt someone tap him on the shoulder. His eyes flickered open, scolding, annoyed and warning. The nurse moved back a little bit.

"We...W-we found a donor for Mr. Shindou."


	4. Unexpected

Brothers' Love Chapter IV: Unexpected

_I need to know what my readers think. I'm really not sure if I'm going to continue if I don't get some feedback. I've noticed I'm not really one of the popular Gravitation Ficcers. That makes me sad... . ; Oh well. Xazenru and Shu-chan! Thank you for your constant reviewing. !_

The nurse had told Eiri that they had found a donor, but when he got to the room where Shuichi and his donor were supposed to be, the second bed was empty. He recognized the pink-haired mess as his lover, the Bad Luck singer, Shuichi Shindou. His golden eyes combed the room, but he saw no other aside from the doctors and nurses that were crowding around.

One of the nurses approached Eiri Yuki, looking timid, perhaps even a little afraid. She cleared her throat and directed her eyes down as if she was ashamed of something.

"I'm sorry, it turns out we _don't_ have a donor for Mr. Shindou. They pulled out at last minute. Apparently they're afraid of needles." She frowned and chanced a look up at Eiri, who at this point had raised an eyebrow at her and his golden eyes were absolutely flaring.

"So the son of a bitch bailed?"

The nurse nodded slowly as if she was afraid of what Yuki would do in reaction to the words.

Further away, and down a few halls, a brown-haired man clung to a phone, stiffling tears as he spoke into the mouth piece.

"Otoo-san...Cooking...oven exploded...hospital...needs blood." His words were muffled thanks to the brilliant weeping he was doing at the moment. A nurse came, tapped him on the shoulder, mumbled something in his ear and he hung up the phone. He had to make sure that his friend was okay.

Ryuichi Sakuma had been close to Shuichi Shindou for a while now, even though they had had a little issue a while back when Shuichi was having an inferiority complex. In Ryuichi's mind, they were equals and friends. Nothing less. It seems that the two had finally gotten that straightened out and now Shuichi had landed himself in the hospital. Ryuichi still had no idea what had caused it. He didn't really care at the moment. His brain had this habit of reverting into the mentality of a seven-year-old, and all he cared about was that his friend was hurt and he wanted Shindou to be all right.

He made his way past the waiting room, chancing a very quick glance at Eiri Yuki. Even though he did have a habit of being stupid sometimes, Ryu did realize that Yuki was not one that you bothered on any occassion. He realized it, but that didn't mean that he didn't do so on occassion by accident perhaps. Ryu padded down the hall to the room that he had been informed was Shindou's, and slipped in, taking a seat next to the bed.

He blinked and prodded the covers gently.

"Shuichi? Shuichi are you awake?" His voice was quiet, although it had a hint of urgency to it. He shook the mound briefly, before crawling up on the bed and shoving himself under the mess of covers, moving around underneath of them in search of his friend.

A few moments later, a nurse peeked her head in and frowned. She could have sworn that a moment ago she had left the room and only one bed was occuppied. Now, judging from the lump moving on the second bed, they both were.

"Nani?" The nurse moved closer, tilting her head as if she expected to get a better view of whoever was in the second bed although they were covered up completely, shifting around underneath. She edged even closer, until the bed covers were in reach and she yanked them back, to see a startled brown-haired older man, peering down, seemingly inspecting the sheets.

"Um, sumimasen," she managed, "what are you doing?"

Ryuichi blinked and looked up at her, his eyes appearing perfectly innocent before he smiled sheepishly. "I was looking for my friend Mr. Shuichi Shin--" he blinked again, paused and looked over the bed again. "SHUICHI IS GONE! HE'S MISSING! WHERE DID HE GO!"

"Um, Sir...That bed has been empty. Mr. Shindou is over there." The nurse pointed to the bed where the unconscious Shuichi Shindou was laying. Ryuichi paused again and then slowly moved his eyes over to Shuichi. He looked decently relieved. He giggled quietly and hopped off the bed, moving over near Shuichi and sitting next to him. Once he got there he proceeded to prod his unconscious friend.

"Shuichi! Are you awake?" He prodded again, multiple times into Shuichi's upper arm. "Shindou-kun!"

The nurse flinched and moved over near Ryuichi, opening her mouth to say something, but Ryuichi beat her to the opening of silence.

"Shuichi! Come on! Are we playing a game?"

"Um, Sir, umm . . . he's unconscious."

"Unconscious?"

"Yes, he can't hear you. He's sleeping."

"Then why doesn't he wake up?"

"Well, he can't."

"Of course he can! Wake up Shuichi!"

"Um, sir, it's..." she thought about explaining what was wrong for an instant, but thought better of it. She figured that this man wouldn't understand anyway, the way he was acting. He looked so familiar, but it couldn't be who she thought it was, with an attitude like he had. "Well, it's best that he sleeps now so he can get better, you see?" She smiled faintly and nodded as if to enforce what she had said.

"Oh," Ryuichi dropped his voice to a whisper, eyes glowing like a little child who had just learned something new. "Okay, I'll be really really quiet." He sat there, perfectly still, his eyes locked on Shuichi as if he was waiting for something. It was like he was waiting for something amazing to occur, or sitting and waiting for a pot of water to boil. It wasn't getting much of anywhere, but the expression on Ryuichi's face never changed. It looked as if he was just about ready to watch Shuichi come back to himself, but nothing happened. Still, he had the look of anticipation pasted there, waiting in silence. The nurse edged out a moment later, frowning to herself.

The doctors were storming in, headed in the direction of Shuichi's room. Eiri peeked open his eyes and stood up, watching in faint interest, although it was still obvious that he was irritated. They were crowded around as they seemed to be quite excited about something. He saw the door to Shuichi's room open, and the form of Ryuichi Sakuma was shoved out. One of the nurses rushed over to Eiri, appearing excited and anxious.

"We found a donor for real this time!"

"Great, who is it?" He didn't really sound so enthused, but he just wanted to get out of here.

"He doesn't want his name released. We're calling him... Donor X."

Eiri snorted. _'What a retarded fucking name.'_

Otoo-san Japanese for 'Father'

Teehee, I know you're all angry now because you still don't know who it is. You'll know next time, promise! I'm updating again really soon! Today or Tomorrow


	5. Behind the Scenes

Brothers' Love Chapter V: Behind the Scenes

_Okay, so I got reviews and decided I will continue. Get ready for the most surprising ride of your lifeeee! Or something like that. oo;Thanks for the reviews, yay! And oh, more would be good. I do love getting them and it makes me happy and makes me want to write. You want me to write- give reviews! xD HELLO TO SHU CHAN WHO IS NOW IN HONG KONG!_

When he heard the line click and go dead after he had been on the phone with his son, his mind immediately jumped to conclusions. Blood? Hospital? Die? Was his son in the hospital! He had to get there right away!

You see, Sakuma-san had come to Tokyo to visit Ryuichi while he was on short leave and wouldn't be crowded with a merciless schedule. He had hoped to get some quality time in with his son, but now all these disasters were taking place left and right it seemed. He made his way to the door, snagging his coat and slipping it on as he stepped outside. He let the door close behind him and glanced around.

The streets were busy and crowded as was to be expected. But he couldn't deal with that right now. He made his way to the street's edge, pushing and shoving as was needed. Normally, he would have been polite about it, but this was an emergency. He sent his hand flailing in the air and it didn't take long for a yellow colored car displaying a light up 'Taxi' sign to pull up next to him. He yanked the door open, slid inside and closed it quickly. He leaned forward so that he could speak with the driver more effectively.

"Japan Red Cross Medical Center. I need to get there immediately."

The driver gave a grunt that must have been an affirmative reply and pressed his foot to the gas. Sakuma-san frowned. When the car had begun to go in motion, he barely felt a tug as it accelarated. They weren't going near fast enough. He had to get there immediately. Didn't the driver understand that word?

"Could you speed it up? This is important."

The driver grunted again and Sakuma-san felt a slightly larger tug as the car accelarated once again. Leaning up a little to glance at the speedometer, he noted that they were only going 65. That was not fast enough. He frowned and glanced out the window, trying to gather his thoughts. This had to get moving. If he didn't get there soon there was no telling what might happen! HE NEEDED TO BE THERE NOW. And then, something clicked. A sly smile crossed his lips and he glanced at the driver, his expression turning to something of panic.

"STOP THE CAR! I FORGOT SOMETHING!"

The screech of the brakes on the asphalt was definitely audible. The car came to an abrupt halt. The driver glanced back at Sakuma-san, appearing very irritated. He hadn't gotten a job in a while, so he would let this man get away with it, for now. He just needed the money.

"Or maybe I just dropped it back here, somewhere? Umm, could you come back and help me look? I know that's odd, but er . . . the faster we find it the faster we can get on the road again, you know!" A nervous chuckle came from him as he smiled, placing a hand behind his head and blushing a bit. The driver mumbled several things under his breath and opened the door, heaving himself out. Moving until he was in front of the other passenger door, he opened it and began to look around. Sakuma-san looked in the backseat for a moment before opened his own door and getting out. The driver looked up at him in a slightly confused way, waiting for an explanation as to why he was getting out.

"I'm uhhh... trying to see if it fell on the ground somewhere." He nodded to assure the driver, and perhaps himself. He had never been too very good at lying, but he could get away with it if he needed to.

Slowly, so as not to seem suspicious, he made his way over to the side of the car on which the driver stood. He gave an innocent look around and then pushed his weight against the driver's backside, sending him face first into the floorboards and out of the path of the door, which was soon shut. He quickly made his way to the front and opened the door, sliding into the driver's seat before shutting it again. The driver in the back was mumbling, disoriented from the hit to the head.

Sakuma-san took the car out of park and slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The jolt it produced was frightening and the car leapt into action. The speedometer read: 70 MPH . . . 75 MPH . . . 80 MPH . . .

The engine was roaring in protest as they darted down the road, weaving in and out of stalemate traffic. Several drivers were giving him odd looks, but he didn't care enough to notice. Horns were sounding from all directions and he could hear the words of angry drivers echoing in his ears, but he didn't take time to decipher them. The driver in the back was coming to. The speedometer: 95 MPH. It was beginning to push the poor car. The driver sat up, looking almost as if he had just woken from some sort of sleep. The tired look quickly vanished into anger. Thank goodness they were nearly there. Sakuma-kun would just have to ignore his angry condemnations for now. The car squealed as he made a sharp turn into the parking lot and pulled it into the first available space. He nearly forgot to put the thing in park before rushing out. He didn't even pay the driver.

Running across the parking lot, his mind was racing. What could have happened to cause this? Would Ryuichi be all right? He hoped so. He would have to make sure that he was. He pushed his way inside, and when he demanded to receive the room number of one, Ryuichi Sakuma, the nurse appeared confused.

"There is no Ryuichi Sakuma checked in here." The nurse was startled to hear the name, and couldn't figure out exactly why someone would come here looking for him. And then, she remembered somethng. She had see someone who looked very much like the music guru, but had assumed it wasn't him due to his awkward behavior.

Sakuma-san was infuriated. "What? I know he's here."

"Umm, he was here, visiting a boy. Shuichi Shindou . . . umm, from that band. Bad Luck."

Sakuma-san paused. It all began to sink in. That made sense. How would his son talk to him on the phone if he was in such bad condition that it could be fatal? So it was this friend he was worried about. This friend that was losing blood. And then he decided he would have to go check up and make sure everything was okay. He was obligated to.

"Um, Miss," Sakuma-san muttered quietly, watching her intently for a moment. "Did they find a donor for the boy?"

"Well, we did have one all lined up but then he decided he wouldn't do it. He was afraid of needles or something like that. At least that's what I heard."

"Oh. Afraid of needles, eh?"

Eiri was irritated. Who the hell was this 'Donor X' idiot? And who goes by a name like that? Not that he really cared. He still just wanted to be out of here. He was in the waiting room again. They had put him back out here. He didn't mind, except it smelled worse outside the room than in it.

He shifted in the chair, hands hanging over his thighs and relaxed in his lap. This was really annoying.

It took a while before they let him back in again. When they did, the other, previously vacant bed was filled. He peered at it for a mere moment, not very interested in who it was, but something about the person looked familiar, but not at the same time. He couldn't place it. He pushed the thought from his mind, watching the sleeping form of Shuichi. He appeared so innocent while he slept. While he was awake he was Eiri Yuki's nightmare. The boy would never shut up and was always bothering him about something. Suddenly, he felt he should have gone somewhere while Shindou was still not capable of doing any such thing. A sigh rushed over his lips and he shook his head. Wouldn't matter. No car.

They didn't allow anyone in the room for much longer. They allowed Eiri in there for a few moments before ushering him out again. Ryuichi, meanwhile, was sitting outside swinging Kumagoro about by the ears and humming softly. He was completely unbothered by the fact that he was there. It almost seemed like he had no idea what was going on anymore. His eyes were intently upon the stuffed animal before they lifted up to spot Eiri. He still didn't want to chance talking to him; Eiri Yuki was a scary man. Ryuichi could just tell. He moved his eyes back to his stuffed animal as if he had never looked in Yuki's direction at all.

Yuki on the other hand was not very happy about being in this place. That had no changed. He wanted out. Now. Yet, he couldn't help but find that his mind was wandering toward the identity of that donor, and why he would want to keep his name secret, unless he was some high-profile celebrity or something. Eiri narrowed his eyes in irritation, as he often did, before allowing them to close. The place was much too noisy and smelled far too badly for him to even consider sleep. He would just have to put up with it. Time seemed to be going by so absolutely slowly. And then, finally, it happened.

The nurse came into the waiting room, waiting patiently to be noticed, which obviously wasn't going to happen. So, politely, she cleared her throat. Ryuichi looked over to her while Yuki's burning golden eyes remained concealed behind their lids.

"Excuse me. You can go in now."

Ryuichi rose immediately, rushing down the hall and disappearing behind Shuichi's doorway. Eiri, however, sat there for a moment. The nurse was looking at him in a puzzled manner, quite confused as to why he wasn't so excited. What she didn't know was that Eiri really didn't give a damn. Obviously the boy wasn't dead, so why should he care? Slowly, he pulled himself from the uncomfortable chair and walked past her, eyes still closed, hands in his pockets. He needed a cigarette, damnit. Pulling the door open, he stepped inside. Both of the people that occupied beds looked rather tired, and both were unconscious. Ryuichi seemed to be peering at the new occupant in amazement as Eiri looked at him. Disregarding the 30-something-year-old man's behavior, he took a seat near the door; he'd be out of here as soon as possible.

"O-Otoo san?" Ryuichi was still focused upon the second occupant. Eiri's eyes moved to the man in the bed and arched an eyebrow, before letting his gaze go back to Ryuichi. The resemblence was definitely there. So, what? Was this that mentally challenged man's father? Eiri wrinkled his nose. This was turning into a giant soap opera.


	6. A Bit of Truth

Brothers' Love Chapter VI: A Bit of Truth?

I love reviews! And yes, I am actually writing this in purple. No, I don't have any idea if it will show up purple or not. But yes, I am writing it in purple. Believe me. Cause if you don't I seriously will take a screenshot and show you—it is purple damnit! Anyway, give me more reviews. I will be happy. And happiness equals me continuing the story, yes it does. Read and enjoy.

Yuki: You ask too much of your reviewers.

Meg-chan: I DO NOT!  
Yuki: Actually. You do. And I'm really tired of me sitting in the hospital for God knows how long.

Meg-chan: … stop whining or I'll turn you into a mushy over-romantic lovesick moron.

Yuki: You wouldn't.

Meg-chan: I WOULD.

Yuki: … Review. Now.

So, in that other bed it had been Ryuichi's father? That explained the familiarization that Eiri felt when he looked at him. He gave no indication that he cared, but Eiri Yuki had a habit of being that way. You could never really be sure if some cogs were turning in his mind or not. The nicotine-enhanced novelist had a bad habit of seeming cold, but was that really what he was underneath? Hard to tell.

It did seem rather odd that all of the sudden Ryuichi Sakuma's father would appear out of no where to give blood to Shindou. He supposed that Ryuichi's father knew of the two's relationship, perhaps because of all the publicity the pair received, what with all the duets they did together.

Perhaps Eiri would discuss this later, if he felt like it. Right now, he just plain didn't give a damn. He hardly ever did, and doubted he would when the time came to speak to the man.

Ryuichi sat there, seeming confused as if he didn't know if he should be sitting next to his suffering friend, or his father, who had come to help. He had no idea how his father had magically appeared here, but his mind seldom stayed on one thing long enough to figure it out. The nurses came in to check on the two of them regularly, but it seemed they didn't really try to speak anymore. Before, they had gotten nothing but frustrated looks from Eiri Yuki, who was growing increasingly annoyed. Ryuichi was so insistent on getting his unconscious father's attention that he began to prod him repeatedly in the arm. He seemed to have a clueless expression, squeaking every time his finger met his father's arm.

"Otoo-san?" He blinked a few times, not understanding why his father was not answering. He just didn't get this whole hospital thing. Eiri on the other hand, knew it would still be a while until both of them woke up. Yet again, he was half thankful and half not. Shuichi Shindou was probably the most annoying boy on the planet, but while he was unconscious, Yuki couldn't leave. That, my friends, was the problem.

It was wonderful. As he woke up, his vision was slightly hazed but he seemed to be warm and comfortable. When he saw what was before him, he noticed Eiri's chest first, and heard his gentle breathing. His lover's eyes were closed and he seemed to be engulfed in a peaceful sleep. A light smile crossed Shuichi's lips as he snuggled in close to Eiri, feeling the warmth that most people didn't think to be there. He was lost in a sort of happiness he was shocked to be feeling, but he didn't want to say anything about it either. He didn't want this glass moment to shatter. Everything felt right, as long as he could be here next to Yuki. And then the most extraordinary thing happened. He felt something. Something he was not used to feeling. As he tiredly peered over, he saw Yuki's arm, draped around him.

Inside him, he felt his heart flutter in response to just seeing it. Feeling it was something entirely different. Had Yuki made some sort of drastic change over night? No, he wouldn't question it, he would be thankful and that was that. But how? How had things ended up this way? He wished he could remember, but all the details seemed to have slipped away from him. It seemed horrible that the one time Yuki Eiri was like this, he would forget how it happened.

It took a few hours, but eventually the two of them began to snap out of their almost vegetative states. The pink-haired koi seemed to be dazed, peering about. He was panicking, because at first, he did not notice that Yuki was indeed present. That was not something he expected, so it took him a moment to see the novelist slouched in a chair in the corner, eyes closed, arms crossed, looking as irritated as ever. Shuichi, had he not been hooked up to an IV would have probably jumped up and tackled him right there. Unfortunately, the pull of the plastic tubing kept him from going anywhere. A frown formed over his lips and he whimpered quietly, sinking back into the bed, which wasn't all that comfortable. Yet, at least it was warm.

Upon seeing Shuichi's motion, Ryuichi whipped around and slung his arms around the younger vocalist.

"Shuichi! You're awake!" Ryu had this habit of squealing things out when he was happy about something. "Shuuuu! Are you okay now? Are you? Are you?" He peered at Shuichi as best he could while still clinging to him. He released the grip of one hand so that he could effectively poke his friend in the arm, several times. "Well? Well? Are you?"

The squealing voice of Ryuichi made Yuki cringe in the corner, seeming to draw into himself. He was trying his best to ignore it, but it wasn't working so well. That boy was annoying as hell.

Shuichi was a bit startled by Ryu-kun's clinging, eyes widening slightly as he was squeezed almost mercilessly. "Hai, Hai. I'm fine." His eyes were still on Yuki, and he wasn't sure exactly how to get him to move closer. He was almost a hundred percent positive that just asking him to wouldn't work. That's how the stubborn Eiri Yuki was. He had been that way since Shuichi could remember. A soft whimper came from his lips again as he squirmed in Ryuichi's arms, eyeing Yuki, hoping that this alone would communicate what was needed. It was rather hard for him not to compulsively yell out, as he often did. He realized though, that Yuki did not seem to be in the best of moods. When Ryuichi finally released him, Shuichi once again sank into the uncomfortable hospital bed. He couldn't exactly remember what had happened, and why he was here now. All he really knew was that his head hurt. A lot. And he knew he could sometimes be reckless, so that was probably the explanation in itself. Shuichi was a very emotion driven person, so it was hard for him to live with someone who thought very little of emotions. Eiri Yuki could be quite deceptive if he wanted to. Shuichi had to wonder what was really hiding underneath the cold exterior that he saw on a daily basis. Life with Yuki was not easy, but he loved him so very much. Sure, Yuki yelled at him, called him names and smacked him and sometimes kicked him out, but he still loved him. He refused to give up. He was sure that one of these days he would break through to something.

"Are you ready to leave yet?" The words came from Yuki's lips rather harshly as he opened his golden eyes, watching the young and hyper one closely. Shuichi hated how Yuki's eyes always appeared to be so judgmental. They were judgmental, but they were beautiful. There had to be something softer, something more understanding underneath what he saw. He was hurt though. Yuki didn't even ask how he was, or even if he was okay. His eyes widened a little, watering a bit at the thought of how inconsiderate Yuki was being.

"Yu-Yuki. I…" What was he going to say? He didn't even know. He just wished that he could flat out tell him he was being insensitive. That would only annoy him more. And Ryu-kun was here.

An arched brow was the response that he received. No words, no change in attitude.

Shuichi was so wounded. He was shaking a little and he could feel the sting of tears. He was trying hard to hold them back, so that he wouldn't cry. So that he wouldn't make Yuki even more angry. He wanted to cry, to sob, to let Yuki see how much pain he was in over the writer's coldness. It wouldn't do him any good though. Yuki never seemed to regret anything he did. Well, except maybe meeting him. At that thought, his heart sunk and the tears welled more, but he would not let them escape.

Turning his attention away from Yuki and to Ryuichi instead, he was glad to know that someone cared about him. A soft smile crossed his lips as he nodded to his friend. "I'm okay. How did I end up here?" He gave a clueless look around the hospital room and blinked as his eyes traveled back to his friend.

Ryuichi put a finger to his lips as he thought for a moment, eyes glancing skyward. "You were taken captive by American spies and they tried to take hold of you for your musical talent. And I tried to grab you, because well, you're my friend and I wanted to help you! So, we were running away from the bad guys and they were shooting guns and I got shot in the leg, but I'm all better now, and I kept running and then it got dark and they were still chasing us and there were scary noises and then you got tired and you fell and you hurt yourself and I had to carry you to the hospital and you were heavy and it was bad and it hurt my leg even more but I just couldn't leave you behind because that's what friends do and I wasn't going to give up on you because well, you're Shuichi!"

……

Meg-chan: First of all, uhh, Yuki had never informed him as to why Shuichi was here…and uhh… yeah.

Lost. Definitely lost. Nope. Didn't catch that. Yuki was staring at Ryuichi as if basking in his moronic aura. Now, how did he, as a human being, manage to get all that out in one breath? It lacked imagination and there were clearly holes, and things that didn't make sense, but damn. That was some fast talking right there. Shuichi and Ryuichi were far too alike for their own goods.

"And look!" Ryuichi was pointing over to the other bed, where another person was laying. "Even Otoo-san came to umm…see you?" Shuichi glanced over and a confused expression appeared over his features. Why would Ryuichi's father be here? And in the bed next to him no less. He seemed to be hooked up to similar machines.

Ryu's Otoo-san was shifting a little, and appeared to be slightly groggy. He moved until he could sit up a little against the pillows and peered around the room, eyes resting on Ryu, holding what Shuichi imagined to be some sort of relief and fatherly pride. "Konnichiwa, Ryuichi." He smiled a little and then glanced over at Shuichi to give him an acknowledging nod. He saw the other in the room, Yuki, and gave pause. The man was familiar. It was that novelist, wasn't it? Yes, yes it was. What was his name? Eiri… Yuki Eiri? Yes, that had to be him. "Eiri-san." That was all he said in greeting, before focusing on the other two again. "You two had me quite worried I hope you know! You have no idea, the troubles I went to in getting here! I never thought that a harmless little visit to my son would land me in the hospital!"

"But sir, you didn't have to—"

"Nonsense! You are friends with my son. You needed help! I bare a responsibility as a parent to help him any way I can, and I imagine you two are very close! He was very torn up on the phone earlier!"

Ryuichi flushed a little before nodding very rapidly. "You worried me, Shu-chan! I was worried about you! I called Otoo-san to tell him!"

"Ah, yes well!" Ryu's Otoo-san interjected quickly. He had at first been under the impression that it had been Ryuichi in trouble, but to tell them such might offend one or the other, that he really wouldn't have hurried had the situation been different. "We're all fine now, aren't we!"

Eiri snorted as he sat in his chair and shook his head a little. "Can we bring this to a close? I've been sitting here long enough. I really have better things I could be doing than sitting in the hospital just oh so enjoying this 'sterile' smell." His voice was dripping with cold sarcasm as he brought himself to his feet, looking down at the three of them condescendingly. Truth be told, maybe he was a little worried. Just a little.


End file.
